Hello SDN,
I'm in the process of acquiring LOR's.
I spoke with a professor which has agreed to write me a letter but stated that I should send him bullet points about what I think should be included in his letter.
I did research with him for 1+ year and took a few classes that I did well.
What type of things would you guys suggest I should include as the bullet points?
I was thinking of expected bullet points such as
-Research
-Classes taken with him
-Grades
Besides that, what else can be included?
Thanks ahead of time for anyone that responds.
Read:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=985472
None of those should be bullet points. From your post, my understanding is that this wasn't a very good/strong relationship or experience. If it was, one of you two would know what the contents of the LOR should be.
LOR should highlight why you are a good applicant. They should not be a description of your relationship with the writer or a description of what you did. Those two components need to be communicated, but any decent letter writer knows that they need to justify why they are writing a letter for you within the letter. If someone asks for bullet points, you should be giving them the topics and personal characteristics that you are highlighting in your personal statement and plan to argue in interviews make you a good applicant. I never did this with my letter writers (I got coffee or food with them and talked in person), but if they had asked me, this is what I would have given them:
Letter from PI:
- Problem solver, discuss beowulf cluster, sequencing project
- Efficient, discuss multiple concurrent projects with results ahead of schedule
- Strong communicator, discuss organizing/coordinating multiple labs on a single project
- Produces results, discuss publications/presentations
- Strong programing/computer background, discuss beowulf cluster, learning new language
Letter from professor, 3 classes, TAed for 2 years for:
- Creativity, discuss novel approaches to old problems
- Organization, discuss restructuring of TA workforce
- Strong communicator, discuss extremely popular office hours, award for teaching
- Problem solver/teacher, discuss development of new teaching methods
Letter from professor/dean/boss:
- Organization, discuss management of tutors, design of curriculum
- Strong communicator, discuss ability to work with students, faculty, staff and administration to effectively and efficiency change policy
- Problem solver/creativity, discuss solutions found for complex lab problems that lead to a change in how things are done in the future and future publication
